The Portland daily press., 1887-06-25
FoRTNIcHTLY PAYMENTS.
Corporations That Are Said to Have
Neglected the Law.

A prominent members of the knights of
Labor said yesterday that there are quite a
number Of corporations in this State who
have neglected to comply with the provisions
of the law requiring fortnlghtly pay
ments The matter is to be placed in the
hands Of the District Master Workman, and
he will be requested to give it his immediate
attention.
The act to provide for fortnightly payment
of wages reads as follows:
SECT livery manufacturing, mining,
quarrying, stone-cutting, mercantile, horse
railroad, telegraph, telephone, and municipal
corporation, and every Incorporated express
and water company, and any person or firm
engaged in any OF the above specified kinds
of business. having in their employ more
than ten persons, shall pay fortnightly each
and every employe engaged in its business,
| the wages earned by such empoye, to within
eight days of the date of said payment; pro-
vided. however, that if at any time Of pay
| ment any employe shall be absent from his
regular place Of labor, he shall be entitled
to SAID payment at any time thereafter on
| demand.
SECT. 2-Any corporation violating any of
| the provisions of this act shall be punished
| by fine not less than ten, nor more than
twenty-five dollars on each complaint under
| which it is convicted, provided complaint for
such violation is made within thirty days
| from the date thereof.
SECT. 3-When corporation against
| which acomplaint is made under this act
fails to appear after being duly served with
| process its default shall be recorded the
| allegations in the complaint taken to be true,
and judgment rendered accordingly.
SECT. 4-When Judgment is rendered on
any such complaint against corporation,
| the court may issue a warrant of distress,
| compel the payment Of the penalty prescibed
by law, together with costs and interest.
SECT 5-The provisions of this act shall
not apply to municipal, officers whose SER
vices are paid for by the day, or to teachers
employed by municipal corporations.
SECT. 6.-This act shall take effect May 1st,
1887.
Approved March 18th. 1887.
Said the speaker: "To give you an idea
of the gravity of the situation, we will take
the case of one corporation in this immediate
vicinity. employing some 200 men. They can
be fined $40 for each man, or $1,000 for every
time since the first day of May that they
have neglected to make payment to their
employees fortnightly, if the Judge of the
Municipal Court so orders. The remedy is
in this way. A complaint must be made to
the Judge of the Municipal Court in the first
instance, and the corporation will be sum-
moned before him, and if it is shown that it
refused to pay fortnighly, it is subject to a
fine of not less than $40 a man, nor more
than $25, on each complaint of each man it
has so neglected to pay fortnightly. Any
person who is aggrieyed can make complaint,
but in my judgment it is the duty of the
police department. if it comes to their knowl-
edge that corporation is violating the Labor
| Bill, to prosecute"
| Two corporations were spoken of as hay
ing violated the law-the Rolling Mills and
Electric Light Company.
| Treasurer Leayitt of the Portland Rolling
| Mills said yesterday afternoon: 1--WE have
between 40 and $50 men in our employ, and
the nature of the business makes the work
of getting up the pay roll very complicated
| man may be at work by the job one day,
and by the day the next, or he may be get
ting one price per ton one week, and another
the next We have had no communication
with the Knights of Labor, but we called
our men together and they elected to
have their pay fortnightly and Wednesday
| of this week we made the first fortnightly
| payment, having found itimpossible to make
the change during the month of May We
have always given advances when asked to
do so, and as matter of fact as often as
man earns $40 he could get it. We shall pay
| fortnightly."
Treasurer +. A. Sawyer of the Electric
| Light Company was out of town. Superin-
tendent John Sawyer said Treasurer
Sawyer has full charge of the financial
affairs of the company, and | cannot say
anything as to what the policy of the COM
pany will be in dealing with this law"